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How to refill the HP 88 black, cyan, magenta and yellow ink cartridges

Learn how to refill your HP 88 black, cyan, magenta and yellow ink cartridges in six, simple steps we’ve included for you in this post.

These ink cartridges work with ink tanks, which rely on the the print head processing the ink and doing all the printing. These are very used in Latin America, since they were sold along with several different printers available in the region.

These cartridges are compatible with the following printer models: HP officejet pro k550, K550dtn, and k550dtwn. They also come in two versions: the regular size and the extra-large one.

Depending on the size for the cartridges, you will need to apply one a specific amount of ink.For example, regular sized ink cartridges use 10ml of ink, while the extra-large versions use 30ml of ink. These cartridges work with water-based or dyed ink, expect for the HP 88 black one in both the regular and extra-large versions.

1. First of all, keep in mind you’ll need to use a different syringe for every color.2. Grab a piece of cloth, preferably black, for any ink spills that may occur. You may also use a flat surface you can clean up easily afterwards.3. Take a good look at all the ink colors to avoid injecting the wrong one into a cartridge. This would end the cartridge’s working life, since ink color damaged are very hard to repair.

Step #1:
Before starting to refill your cartridge, place the cartridge on the piece of black cloth we mentioned earlier, or on a flat surface you can clean easily.

Step #2:
This cartridge, as well as all the others that have print heads just like it, are refilled by removing the bottom part of it, which will expose the cartridge’s injector, its pump and the exact refill location. Please take a look at the next picture to learn how to remove the botton.

where tag should be removed

You must cut exactly where the red line marks. This will help divide the cartridge in two, exposing everything that’s in the bottom of it.

Step #3:
Once you’ve removed the label from the cartridge, it should look like the one depicted in the following picture, where you’ll be able to appreciate all the areas we mentioned earlier. For this step, you will also need an empty, ink-free syringe, which you’ll use to try and take a small, rubber ball out of the cartridge. It’s marked on the picture with #1.

Please do this very carefully and slowly to keep the small ball from going all the way back into the cartridge. Once you take it out, make sure you have it and do not lose it.

Step #4:
You may now proceed to filling the syringe up with the proper amount of ink. If you’re refilling a regular cartridge, apply 10 of ink. If, on the other hand, you’re using the extra-large version, you should apply 30ml of ink.

Another thing you must keep in mind is that we do not recommend you use any kind of puncturing syringes when refilling this ink cartridge. The cartridges have a thin metal sheet inside them that is as frail as parchment paper and, if punctured by the needle, it could become damaged and leave your cartridge with a permanent ink spill. This is why we suggest you only insert the tip of the syringe into the cartridge to avoid piercing it at all.

Step #5:
After this entire procedure is finished, you may place the small rubber ball back on the cartridge, which acts like a plug that keeps the ink from coming out of it. Please do this very carefully to avoid pushing the ball into the cartridge; you could have a hard time finding another one like this, and you probably couldn’t take it out of the cartridge without damaging it.

Once you’ve put the ball back on the cartridge, leave the cartridge with this orifice facing downwards, just to make sure everything’s working properly and there isn’t any ink leaking either from the injection orifice or the location you just sealed with the plug.

Step #6:
Put the lid back on the bottom of the cartridge, and let it rest with the lid facing downwards to check for any problems or ink spills one more time. If you’ve followed all these steps to the letter, your cartridge should be printing properly.

However, if things don’t go according to plans, don’t worry, we’re here to help. You only have to leave a comment in the section below this post and we will gladly help you out.